Fastener for curtain rods and the like



May 5, 1925.

W. SPARKS FASTENER FOR CURTAIN RODS AND THE LIKE Filed M a y 10, 1925Patented May 5, 1925.

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PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER- SPARKS, or pragmat sm, ENGLAND, asslenoa TO winmairt sinus-Y'PQNKS; or EN LAND nn trans en JA .S TQN= or L nnon, Eastern NQ- iltiserene y Ass ssme- FOR CURTAIN RODS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed May 10, 1923. Serial No. 638,848.

To all whom it may]. concern,

Be it known that I, WVALT-ER SPARKS, a subjectot the Kingdom ot'GrreatBritain, designer, Tonks (Birmingham) Limited, Moseley Street,Birmingham, in the county of lVarwick, England, have inventedImprovenlents in or Relating to Fasteners for Curtain Rods and thelike,of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprises certain improvements in or relating. tofasteners for curtain rods and the like, and it refers to the type ofcurtain rod or like fastener involving a bracket or fixture in relationto which a part is adapted to swivel, this part being substantially inthe nature of a UTsh-aped member so that it can be swung into oneposition to permit of the assemblage and removal. of the ends of the rodinto or from its supporting position in relation to the said bracket orfixture, and then swung into another position in which it is adapted toretain the rod end in this assembled position. The swlvelled member maybe adapted to bemaintained in this last-mentioned position by springstop provision, gravity or other expedient.

In order that this invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into practice, reference may be, had to the appended explanatorysheet of drawings, upon which Figure 1 illustrates in perspective anembodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional end elevation of the parts shown in Figure 1,the plane of section being. on line H of Figure 4, hereinafter referredto,

Figure 3 is a plan of one of the fasteners shown in Figure 1 in theposition permitting of removal and replacement of. the Curtain rod andFigure 4 is a plan of the parts shown in Figure 3, but with the parts inthe position in which the curtain rod end is retained in its assembledposition.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure at butof the support for the otherend of the curtain rod and illustrating a modification of the presentinvention.

Figure 6 illustrates the parts shown in Figure 5 displaced into theposition permitting of removal of the curtain rod.

Figure 7 is a sectional end elevation of the parts shown in Figure 5,the plane of section being on line 5-5 of the figure last mentioned.

Figure 8 is a section on the line b tt of Figure 6, showing the positionwhich the curtain rod may assume during the process of releasing same.

Figures 9, 10, 11 and 12 are similar fig ures respectively to thosedesignated 5, (3, 7 and 8, but of a further modification, the section inFigure 11 being on the line 95) of Figure 9, and the section. in Figure12 being on the line 101O o1 Figure 10.

In. a convenient embodiment of the present invention, we provide at oneend or at each end of the curtain rod a sheet metal bracket havinga baseportion a and upper or lower limbs Z), a converting it into a channelformation, which latter is closed at its one o tremit-y b a stop member(Z. The limbs Z), c are perforated to receive projections e of a Ushapedmember 7 which is adapted to swivel about the axes of the saidprojections from the position shown in Figure 8 to that shown. in Figurel, or vice versa. lVhen the parts are in the position shown in l igurc 3the curtain rod can readily be removed ilorwardly, and after the curtainrod has been assembled into position the member 7* is displaced intotheposition shown in Figure -l, in which position the curtain rod isretained from lateral derangement, and the said curtain rod may assumethe position indicated at g, Figure 2, in which position it tends toretain the parts in their engaging position, the weight of the curtainupon the curtain rod being adapted to hold the mem ber f fromderangement about its axis of movement. For convenience the rod 9 isshown solid in the drawing; it may, however, be tubular and composed ofmetal, wood or other suitable material. As shown in Fig. 2, the limbsZi, c are cranked near to their projecting extremities; this enables therod o to roll into the position shown in Figure 2, and so fulfill itsfunction of maintaining the parts in their engaging position.

An examination of Figures 1-4 will show that the device illustrated isreversible, being identical in manufacture for each end of the rod.

In Figure 1 we have illustrated at 6 c projections which are adapted toco-operate with the member to normally retain it in its engagingposition, hen the member is displaced from the position shown in Figurel to the position shown in Figure 3, its edge is adapted to pass beyondthese projections c which latter frictionally engage with its internalsurfaces.

The modification illustrated in Figures 58 differs from that illustratedin Figures 1-4 in that the U-shaped member f which embraces the curtainrod g has its projections engaging within L-shaped slots it provided inthe upper and lower limbs 6 0 of the fixed member. In this embodiment,therefore, apart from or in addition to any swiwelling action, themember 7 may be displaced into the position shown in Fig ure 6 to permitof the removal or replacement of the rod, and after the rod has beenassembled it is displaced into the position shown in Figure 5, in whichthe weight carried by the curtain rod tends through the medium of thelatter to draw the member f into its outermost position in which itsprojections are in the lateral parts of the L-shaped slots h. Thisembodiment of the invention may thus incorporate an arrangement in whichno swivelling action is present at all, the member 7 having a movementlongitudinally of the curtain rod and also a movement transversely ofthe curtain rod, in which movements it may be maintained from rotationby virtue of the shape of its projections and their co-operation withthe L-shaped slots 7b.

In the modification shown in Figures 912, the projections upon themember 7' engage within key-hole perforations in the limbs 6*, 0 thesekey-hole perforations involving a circular part in which the projectionsmay rotate and a slot extending therefron'l, into which projections maypass by virtue of the pull of the curtain red when in position. Theprojections may be in this embodiment of such shape and adapted toco-operate with the extensions of the key-hole slots that when the partsare in the position shown in Figure 11 the member 7 's thereby retainedfrom any swivelling movement, whereas when it is pushed backwardly intothe position shown in Figure it may be swivelled to provide for theremoval and replacement of the curtain rod end. I

Instead of being cranked as shown in the drawings, the limbs Z), 0 or b0 01 b 0 as the case may be, may respectively be inclined upwardly anddownwardly to provide for the automatic rolling of the rod into theposition in which it retains the member f, f or f as the case may be, inits engaging position.

Other expedients may be utilised for retaining the U-shaped member inits engaging position, a feature of this invention residing in. the factthat the said Ushaped member is swivelled in relation to the fixed partand that whether by virtue of the weight of the curtain rod or otherprovision, it is auton'ia-tically maintained in its engaging positionafter being so located in the process of assembling the rod.

W hat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz- 1. A fastener for curtain rods and the like, con'lprising a U-shapedbracket arranged to be secured to a support with the limbs thereof oneabove the other and having oppositely offset outer ends, a U-shapedmember, the free ends of the limbs of which are pivotally mounted to thefree ends of the limbs of said bracket, so as to be movable in theplanes of the said limbs, and yieldingly controlled means operable uponthe limbs of the said U-shaped member to retain the name in substantialalignment with the limbs of the said U-shaped bracket and prevent casualmovement thereof.

2. A fastener for curtain rods and the like, comprising a U-shapedbracket arrai'iged to be rigidly secured to a support in such mannerthat the limbs thereof lie one above the other, said limbs beingprovided at their outer sides, near their free ends, with projectionswhich extend vertically above and below their respective upper and lowersurfaces, a U-shaped menr her, the free ends of the limbs of which arepivotally mounted to the free ends of the limbs of the said bracket soas to be movable in the planes of the said limbs, the said projectionsof the limbs of said bracket forming yieldingly controlled meansoperable upon the limbs of the said U-shaped member for locking thepivot pins against rotation when the limbs of the U-shaped member havebeen brought into substantial alignment with the limbs of the saidU-shaped bracket.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set m hand.

J wanrna smears.

